Apple Tree Gift to Grafsky

For many gardeners of Siberia and the Far East, the apple variety "Gift to Grafsky" became a real boon. Under harsh climatic conditions, it was difficult to get a decent harvest of apples, but thanks to the work of domestic breeders, residents of cold regions can also enjoy fresh and fragrant fruits grown on their own plot.

The apple tree Gift to Grafsky was bred on the basis of the All-Russian Selection Institute of Horticulture and Nursery. When creating it, experts used two varieties as a basis: Vyaznikovka and a premium quality hybrid D101 from the American state of Indiana. In the state register, the Podarok Grafsky variety was registered in 2001. Domestic breeders V. Kichina, V. Yagunov, N. Morozova worked on its creation.

Apple tree Gift to Grafsky is characterized by increased winter hardiness. The yield is kept at a fairly high level, but periodically falls from year to year. The apple tree is practically not susceptible to infectious diseases and fungal infections. The variety does not differ in early maturity. Ripening of apples occurs in late autumn, but at the same time they have excellent keeping quality and, subject to the correct storage conditions, lie perfectly until the beginning of spring.

This fruit tree reaches a height of 7 m. The trunk and main branches are strong, forming a rounded or reverse pyramidal spreading crown. The krone has a medium thickening. The leaves are oblong, wavy, dark green. They are located on a medium-long petiole. Abundant flowering, white-pink, medium-sized flowers, but very fragrant. Apple garden A gift to Grafsky attracts many pollinators with its fragrance.

A distinctive feature of the Podarok Grafsky variety is its excellent winter hardiness. The apple tree takes root well both in the middle lane and in colder regions. But at the same time, late ripening is often very inappropriate, since in areas with a predominance of a cold climate, apples do not have time to ripen before the onset of frost.

Many gardeners consider the disadvantage of the variety to be the partial shedding of the fruits after ripening, so it is important to monitor this process and remove the fruits from the branches in time. Apples picked up from the ground have poor keeping quality.

The gift to Grafsky belongs to a late variety, so apples ripen in October. With favorable weather or growing crops in the middle lane and in the south, earlier ripening is possible - starting from the end of August.

Apple tree Gift to Grafsky is a high-yielding variety. With proper care, up to 75 kg of fruit can be removed from one tree per season. If you do not make special efforts when growing this fruit crop, you will have to be content with about 40 kg of apples per season. The amount of harvest depends on many factors, including:

• pollination;
• sufficient watering;
• timely feeding;
• favorable climatic conditions.

Apples “Gift to Grafskiy” have excellent taste and excellent keeping quality, therefore they are well suited for fresh consumption. Their taste is sweet, with a slight sourness, the pulp is light yellow, moderately juicy, medium hard. Its almost fine-grained structure is not very good for making jam and compotes for the winter.

The fruits have a fairly decent weight - up to 350 g. The color is violet-red, there is a striping. The skin is of medium thickness, yellow and slightly waxy.

For the apple tree Gift to Grafsky, a site with black earth soils is perfect. The depth of the groundwater in the ground should be low, since this fruit tree does not tolerate high soil moisture and waterlogging. If this cannot be ruled out, then when planting a seedling, drainage must be done. The optimum acidity of the soil for the apple of the described variety ranges from 5-7.6 pH, the humus content should be at the level of 2-3%.

You can plant an apple tree Gift to Grafsky both in spring and autumn. With a spring planting, the best time for this is March, before the sap flow begins. It is important to ensure that the buds of the seedling are swollen, but in no case dry.

For autumn planting, work should be carried out after harvesting the entire crop on the site. There should be no fallen leaves, dry grass, plant debris around the hole. They often hide insect pests and pathogenic microbes, which can easily settle on a fragile tree. For prophylaxis, after planting, you can whitewash the trunk of the seedling.

For planting an apple orchard, it is recommended to use a 6 by 7 meter pattern. When preparing the pit, the size of the rhizome must be taken into account: it must fit completely into it. The optimal hole depth is 70 cm, the diameter is about 60 cm.

To maintain abundant fruiting, it is necessary to periodically carry out sanitary pruning of the crown, removing dried branches. This procedure will have a beneficial effect on the growth and number of ovaries, since the apple tree will spend all its strength directly on them.

In the process of growing, the apple tree requires periodic watering. 3-5 buckets of water a week will be enough for her. Since the root system of the apple tree is branched and goes deep enough, it will take its main food from groundwater. But if dry areas become noticeable at the tips of the leaves, then watering will need to be done more often. It is also important to additionally water the apple tree if it is a dry year. This will support its viability and will help keep yields at a decent level for the next year.

An adult tree needs feeding only if the soil where it grows is poor in any substances. But young seedlings periodically need to be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers in order to accelerate their growth and help them adapt in a new place.